E.—l

XXX

TABLE W.—Religious Denominations of Children committed or admitted in 1884.

Last year's report contains very full information concerning the arrangements made for the boarding-out of the younger children with foster-parents under the provisions of the Industrial Schools Act.* Additional instructions issued to managers of industrial schools and official correspondents last year are printed in another parliamentary paper (B.-3). The reports both of the local visitors and of the -visiting officer of the Department continue to be, on the whole, of a very satisfactory and encouraging character, and give assurance that the boarding-out scheme is proving successful. It is due to the Official Correspondents and the Lady Visitors to acknowledge the great value of their'services, which, in the case of the latter, are gratuitously rendered. At the outset only children under seven years of age were boarded with foster-parents, but the age is now extended to ten years ; and, except in the case of very young infants, a uniform payment of 7s. a week is usually made. The following is a summary of information respecting the children boarded out on the 31st December, 1884 :—

TABLE X.—Information concerning Foster-children.

t The amount of payments obtained from parents for the maintenance of their children in the industrial schools and orphanages is larger than in any previous year. The amounts for the last three } rears are as follows :— £ s. a. Total for 1884 ... ... ... ... ... 1,438 0 3 Total for 1883 ... ... ... ... ... 1,335 16 7 Total for 1882 ... ... ... ... ... 1,130 13 4 The following is a summary of the children's wages accounts for the Government Industrial Schools for 1884 : — Amount in bank at close of year— £. s. d. £ s. d. On account of former inmates ... 1,451 11 3 „ • present inmates ... 1,290 17 1 2,742 8 4 Amount due by employers at close of year ... ... ... 421 9 9 Amount withdrawn in 1884 ... ... ... ... 190 2 3 It is -required by the Act that the earnings of the children when at service shall be placed in the Post Office Savings Bank, after defraying the cost of clothing and other necessaries. The payment of these moneys, with accrued interest, to the young people is contingent on good conduct. The boys usually receive theirs on reaching manhood and showing that the money will be properly disposed of by them. The girls' money is usually paid to them on their marriage. It is due to the Commissioner and the members of the police force, both at head-quarters and throughout the colony, to acknowledge the valuable assistance which they continue to render in the administration of the Industrial Schools Act. The nature of these services is more particularly described in last year's report (E.-l, 1884, pp. xxv. and xxvi.). The demands necessarily made by the Education Department upon the services of the police force are numerous and increasing, and its members have ever shown the utmost willingness to render all the assistance in their power. The clerks of Resident Magistrates'

* See Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, E.-l, 1884, pp, jcxiv.-xxvi., and E.-3,1884.

Denomination. Committed, Non-Committea. Total. 'hurch of England .. Joman Catholic 'resbyterian Vesleyan 130 130 37 16 21 4 3 151 134 40 16 Total 313 28 341

Number of Children. Schools. Official Correspondents. Local Visitors. In the City and In Country Suburbs. Localities. Total. .uckland lurnham Javersham .. 1 1 1 14 20 23 62 66 136 15 72 41 77 138 177 Total .. 57 264 128 392